Bonus misery set to depress the workforce

Most UK employees are likely to be disappointed by their annual bonus, new research suggests.

In contrast to the widely reported bumper pay-outs expected in the City, research conducted by reward consultancy Innecto found that 19% of HR directors said their company definitely wouldn’t be awarding a bonus this year and 40% were still unsure.

Only 41% of HR directors were sure there would be staff bonuses.

In addition, of the 183 HR directors interviewed for the survey, only 18% expected bonuses to be higher than last year.

The vast majority – 68% – said they expected bonuses to be smaller than last year, while 15% said they would remain the same.

The key factors affecting were the general economy (22%) and the market in which their businesses operate (37%).